150: The Net Project is underway

Jun Xiaoyao sat on the cold jade bed in the secret chamber of Beyond Heaven, lightly tapping the zitan wood table in front of him with his fingertips. A map of continental power distribution was spread flat on the table. The words “The Net,” marked in vermillion, had spread out into fine branches across the seven southeastern states, like a spiderweb entwining the borders of various Families’ territories. He looked up at the water mirror opposite him, which reflected the scene of The Net’s main headquarters—Marshal of the Unruly stood in the center of the training ground, his bone whip lashing the air like a spiritual snake. Each whip shadow carried a sonic boom, carving inch-deep cracks into the bluestone ground at the edge of the field.

“Young Lord,” Zhao Gao emerged from the shadows, holding a black scroll. “This is The Net’s mission list for the past three months: retrieve the account book of the Xiao Family in Qingzhou, intercept the secret letter of the King of Mobei, eliminate three Protector Dharma Kings of the Blazing Fire Palace... a total of thirty-seven missions, with a completion rate of one hundred percent.” He placed the scroll on the table, its cover embroidered with the words “The Net” in gold thread, gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

Jun Xiaoyao opened the scroll, his gaze sweeping over the shocking mission descriptions. His fingertips paused for a moment on the words “Blazing Fire Palace.” “Marshal of the Unruly’s efficiency is quite good,” he said indifferently. “But The Net cannot only ‘kill’; it must also ‘investigate’.”

Zhao Gao bowed and asked, “What does Young Lord mean?”

“Activate the summoning array,” Jun Xiaoyao looked up, his eyes deep. “This time, specify ‘intelligence gathering’ type, and the Realm must be at least Grandmaster Realm.”

System Notification: Energy detected... Filtering eligible individuals... Summoning initiated...

The summoning array in the center of the secret chamber suddenly lit up. Pale blue runes flowed like water, converging at the array's core into a tall, slender figure. The person wore a green robe, with a jade pendant hanging from their waist, fanning themselves with a folding fan. Their face held three parts laziness and seven parts cunning. It was Star Plucker from “legend of lu xiaofeng”—but upon closer inspection, he seemed a bit more composed than the “King of Thieves” summoned last time.

Character Panel Generated:

Name: Full of Towers

From World: “legend of lu xiaofeng”

Realm: Middle Grandmaster Realm

Abilities:

1. Distinguishing Positions by Sound: Though blind, he can use his ears as eyes. No subtle sound within a hundred zhang radius escapes him, making his intelligence gathering ability unrivaled in the Jianghu.

2. Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve: Sleeves can transform into weapons or shields, soft yet firm, skilled in defense and control.

3. Still Water Heart Lake: A clear state of mind, not easily confused, able to extract key clues from chaotic information.

Additional Items:

- sound-transmitting jade (can eavesdrop on conversations within a hundred zhang)

- Folding Fan (fan bones made of profound iron, can be used as a weapon)

Loyalty: 95% (Naturally gentle, identifies with the concept of “guarding”)

“Full of Towers?” Jun Xiaoyao was slightly surprised, then smiled. “He’s even more suitable than expected.”

Though Full of Towers could not see, he precisely turned towards Jun Xiaoyao and nodded slightly: “Your Excellency is the Young Lord who summoned me?” His voice was gentle, clear as the clinking of jade.

“Beyond Heaven needs a pair of ‘ears that can hear the truth’.” Jun Xiaoyao motioned for Zhao Gao to hand over a token. “The Net’s ‘Intelligence Exploration Department’ will be entrusted to you, responsible for collecting secret intelligence from various forces—no need for direct action, just compile what you hear and deduce into scrolls.”

Full of Towers took the token, his fingertips lightly tracing its patterns, and smiled: “Listening to stories is my forte.” He listened intently, then chuckled softly, “The medicine furnace in the next secret chamber has boiled over; Great Doctor Ping is scolding an apprentice for adding the wrong herbs. Marshal of the Unruly’s whip tip caught a fallen leaf, and he hasn't even noticed. Also... The Net’s Western Branch assassin is reselling mission rewards in the black market. Not a large amount, but enough for punishment.”

Zhao Gao’s expression changed slightly: “Your subordinate will go deal with the Western Branch matter immediately!”

Jun Xiaoyao raised his hand to stop him: “Let Full of Towers continue.”

“That assassin is a spy planted by the Blazing Fire Palace,” Full of Towers continued. “He just sent a coded message saying, ‘The Net’s core is in the southeast’—it seems the Blazing Fire Palace wants to probe our depths.”

A cold glint flashed in Jun Xiaoyao’s eyes: “Marshal of the Unruly knows what to do.” He looked at Full of Towers, “Your ‘ears’ are more useful than I imagined.”

At this moment, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the secret chamber door, and the figure of Marshal of the Unruly appeared at the doorway, his gaze under the bronze mask sharp as a blade: “Young Lord, the people from the Blazing Fire Palace have made their move. They sent their Saintess to infiltrate Qingzhou, intending to steal The Net’s roster.”

“Oh?” Jun Xiaoyao looked at the water mirror. Indeed, a red-clad figure appeared in the mirror, avoiding The Net’s hidden sentries and stealthily approaching the main headquarters’ archive room—the figure had a graceful posture, holding a soft sword. It was precisely the Blazing Fire Palace Saintess, Yan Lingji.

System Notification: High-threat target detected. Initiate emergency summoning?

“No need.” Jun Xiaoyao shook his head, looking at Full of Towers. “Test your abilities.”

Full of Towers gently fanned himself, listening intently: “When her left foot steps on the third bluestone slab, she will use the force to leap. Her right boot sole hides a three-inch poisoned needle, and upon landing, she will roll towards the northwest...” His words were calm, yet he predicted Yan Lingji’s movements with perfect accuracy.

Marshal of the Unruly could no longer hold back, his bone whip poised to strike, but Jun Xiaoyao stopped him: “Let The Net’s ‘Shadow Department’ act. This is a good opportunity to test the accuracy of Full of Towers’ intelligence.”

In the water mirror, the Shadow Department assassins set up a trap according to Full of Towers’ hints—when Yan Lingji indeed leaped as predicted, a net suddenly sprung up from beneath her feet, trapping her securely. Just as she tried to shoot her poisoned needle, a crossbow bolt from the shadows pinned her boot sole. The entire process was clean and precise, exactly as Full of Towers had described.

“Excellent.” Jun Xiaoyao closed the scroll. “Full of Towers, the Intelligence Exploration Department is yours. I want a ‘jianghu secrets record’ every month. I want to know how much grain is in the granaries of major forces, what medicines are hidden in secret rooms, and even... which shop the Saintess buys her rouge from.”

Full of Towers chuckled: “Young Lord’s requests are quite detailed.”

“Details determine success or failure.” Jun Xiaoyao looked at Zhao Gao. “Connect The Net’s intelligence network with Full of Towers’ ‘ears’. Within three months, I want to see all of the Blazing Fire Palace’s account books, secret letters, and even their kitchen’s procurement lists.”

Zhao Gao bowed in assent, then handed over another scroll: “Young Lord, this is news from the black market. Someone is willing to pay one hundred thousand taels of gold for the location of ‘Beyond Heaven’.”

Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow: “Oh? Who is so generous?”

“Anonymous, but the payment method used a gold note from the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower,” Zhao Gao added. “Your subordinate suspects it’s the ‘Ice Plains Tribe’ from the Northern Territory. They’ve been active on the border recently, seemingly searching for a Cultivation Technique that can counter the ‘Blazing Fire Cultivation Technique’.”

Jun Xiaoyao drew a circle on the Northern Territory’s location on the map with his fingertip: “Have Full of Towers investigate.” He looked at Yan Lingji, who was being escorted into The Net’s prison in the water mirror, then glanced at the brightening sky outside the window. “The Net, this blade, should try cutting harder bones now.”

Full of Towers had already gone to arrange the Intelligence Exploration Department with the sound-transmitting jade, Marshal of the Unruly was interrogating Yan Lingji, Great Doctor Ping was mixing new anesthetics in the medical department, and Star Plucker had, at some point, pilfered the jade pendant from Zhao Gao’s waist—the candlelight in the secret chamber gradually extinguished, and morning light squeezed through the window cracks, illuminating the words “Beyond Heaven” on the scroll.

Jun Xiaoyao leaned on the cold jade bed, listening to the training sounds, the pestle sounds, and even Full of Towers’ soft laughter from a hundred zhang away, and slowly closed his eyes. The Net was tightly woven; all that remained was to wait for the fish that cast themselves into The Net to slowly struggle.

And he, the Young Lord behind the scenes, only needed to sit in this secret chamber, watching the pieces on the chessboard, step by step, bring the entire Jianghu into the domain of Beyond Heaven.